Means for releasing and leading animals from stables.



No. 856,727. PATENTED JUNE 11, mm.

A, T, RU'IHVEN. MEANS FOR RELEASING AND LEADING ANIMALS PROM STABLES.

APPLIOATIOZT FILED AUG. 21, 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 14 flijih will? fad/@611 wanes aw No. 856,727. 'PATENTBD JUNE 11, 1907.

A. T. RUTHVEN. MEANS FOR RELBASING AND LEADING ANIMALS mom STABLES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 21, 1906.

--- rmwzww ummtoz ARTHUR THEODORE RUTHVEN, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

MEANS FQR RELEASHJG AND LEADING ANIMALS FROM STABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11,1907.

Application iiled August 21, 1906. Serial N0. 331,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR THEODORE RUTHVEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at T eka, in the county of Shawnee and State o'l- Kansas, have invented a new and useful Means for Releasing and Leading Animals from Stables, of which the following is a specification.

, The principal means for automatically releasing and leading animals from stables in case the same a catch fire, thereby materially reducing the danger of burning the animals.

The referred form of construction is illusr5 trated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a sectional view through a stable, showing the mechanism associated therewith, this view being partly diagrammatic.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the stable. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view therethrough. Fig. tie a detail perspective view of the looking means for t e door. Fig. 5 is a detail pers ective view of one of the animal holding and eading devices. Fig. 6 isia detail perspective view of the circuit closer. Fig. 7 is a detail view, showing the operation of the secondary motor Weight. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the locking mechanism, as shown in 0 Fig. 2, but on an enlarged scale Fig. 9 is a detail horizontal sectional view through the same.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding drawings.

The stable, designated generally by the reference numeral '8, may be of any desired construction, including suitable stalls 9.

Extending across the inner portions of the stalls and at a considerable elevation is a support, in the form of a bar or red 10. A

plurality of hooks 11 detachably engage over this bar or rod, and have lower terminal eyes 12, to which the halter straps 13 are fastened,

5 said hook also having upstanding terminal eyes 14. disposed above the rod 10. A track 15 is located longitudinally in the stable in rear of the stalls, and extends through the door-way 16 in one end of the stable. Doors 17 are provided for said door-way, and

are arranged to swing outwardly, their adjacent edges being cut away,.as shown at 18 to permit the extension of the track.

ably mounted on said track, are a series of 5 5 blocks 19, which are connected by leading cables 20 to the upper eyes 14 of the holding object is to provide novel.

parts in all the figures of the Slidhooks 11. It will thus be apparent that if the blocks 19 are moved outwardly, the

hooks 1-1 will be disengaged from the rod or bar 10, and the animals, secured to said hooks, will thus be released from t estalls,

and will be led outwardly-through, e. doorway 16, and from the stable. To effect this automatic releasing and leadin operation, the following mechanism is pre ierably provided.

A standard 21 is located exteriorly of the stable, and is provided with a weight motor, consisting of one or more weights,'two being shown in the present embodiment, though the number may be varied, as desired, one of these weights being designated 22, the other 23. The weight 22 is secured to one end of a cable 24, passin about upper ulleys 25, and a lower guide sheave 26.- he cable extends from said uide sheave 26 through the door-way, and is connected to a series of actuating elements or blocks 27 that are disposed in rear of theblocks 19, be-

ing slidably mounted on the track 15. The other wei' ht 23 is detachably mounted on a horizonta arm 28, carried by the upper end of the standard, and said. weight has an opening 29 therethrough, through. which the cable 24 slidably passes. This cable is, however, I .provided with an enlargement 30', which when it reaches and strikes the weight 23, will cause its detachment from the arm 28. The rojection 30 is so disposed that it will detac the weight 23 just prior to the weight 22, reaching the ground, and thus the secondary weight will be brou ht into operation, and the movement of the cable continued even after the weight 22, has stopped. The additional weight is of course unneces sary, exce t in barns or stables of consider able lengtli For the purpose of normally, holding the motor against movement, a detent, in the form of a lever 31 is fulcrumed between its ends on an arm 32, carried by an intermediate ortion of the standard 21'. ,One'end of the ever engages in the eye 33, formed in the cable, the other end is engaged by a swinging latch 34 pivoted on the arms 32 and having at its uiper end an armature 35. This armature is disposed in 006 crating relation to an electro magnet 36. suitable source of electric power, preferably a dry battery, is

shown diagrammatically at 38, and is in cir-.

' pivoted to the inner side of one and detachwhich carries the keep ably engages in a keeper 43 secured to the inner side of the other. The free end of this latch is detachably engaged by a ring 44, carried by a cable 45 that is connected to the ca- An actuating device for the latch vantagesoif, the invention.

ble 24. consists of a'lever 46, pivotally mounted on the outer side of one of the doors 17, and havin an inturned terminal 48 that engages said latch. The other terminal is in the form of an ear 49, in which a suitable adlock5O may be engaged, said padlock aso engaging a holding chain 51 suitably fastened to the door. By means of the lever 46, it will be evident that the latch is readily operated from the outside of a stable, except when fastened by the lock 50, but whether the lever 46 is locked or unlocked, it will not interfere with the raising of the latch 42 through the medium of the cable 45.

While the locking mechanism may be mounted on the doors in any suitable manner,

construction, a substantially A is provided in the door 17, er 43. Thus no part of said door is inclosed by the lever 46 and latch 42, and both-doors can swing o pen when unlatched.

The operation of the mechanism may be briefly described as follows. The parts under normal condition are, as shown in Fig. 1, the motor being held against operation by the detent and the circuit of the source of electro-energy being open. If, however, fire breaks out, some portion of the circuit closing wires 40 which are strung throughout the stable, will be subject to sufficient heat to destroy the insulation, whereupon these wires will contact. This will effect the 010s ing of the circuit, and as a result, the alarm 39 will be sounded. Simultaneously, the electro-magnet36 will be energized, thereby drawing the armature 35 toward it. This will actuate the latch 36, and disengaging it from the detent lever 31, will free the same. Immediately the weight motor 22 will be freed, and the weight will drop. This movement causes the cable 24 to be drawn outwardly through the stable door, raising the latch 42. At the same time, the blocks 27 will engage the blocks 19, thereby detaching the hooks 11 so as to release the animals from their stalls and lead them outwardly ,from

in the present T-shaped slot the stable, the track 15 extending beyond the This consists of' range of danger. As a result, it will be evident that simple means of a novel nature are provided, whereby animals will be automat ically released and led from a stable, thereby eliminating to a material degree the danger of their being burned, and avoiding the necessity of human beings entering the stable I i to release them.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled'in the art, with{ out further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ad- Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination'with an animal hold-- ing device, of means controlled by the-presence of heat for automatically releasing the holding device and moving the same from the stable.

2. The combination animal holding device including a hook that detachably engages the support, and means for effecting the movement ofthe hook to detach it from the support.

"3. .The combination with a supporting bar, of a holding hook that detachably engages over the bar and has means for fastening the animal thereto,

from the stable.

4. The combination with a supporting bar, of a plurality of hooks that detachably engage over the bar, taching the hooks from the bar and moving them from the stable.

with a support, of an' 1 and means for detaching the ice hook from the bar andmoving said hook and common means for de- 10;

5. The combination with a track, of an ani 2 mal leading device slidable on the track, and means for moving element that is slidable on the track in rear of the leading device and engages it to push said leading device along the track.

6. The combination with a track, of a plurality of separate leading the track, and means separate from and detachably engaging the said leading devices for sliding them on the track.

7. The combination with a'track, of a plu-- rality of animal leading the device including an no devices, including -r 20 blocks slidable on the track, and means for moving the blocks, said means including a plurality of connected elements disposed in rear of the blocks.

8. The combination with a supporting bar, i 2 5 of a plurality of holding hooks detachably mounted on the bar, and having means for fastening animals thereto, a track, a plurality of blocks slidably mounted on the track and connected to the different hooks, and means 1 0 devices movable on i1 5 motor controlled by the presence ofheat for operating the same.

11. The combination with animal releasing and leading means, of a motor for operating the same, a detent for holding the motor against movement, and heat-controlled means foroperating the detent.

12. The combination with animal releasing and leading means, of a motor for operating the same, a detent for holding themotor against movement, and heat controlled electrically operated means for releasingthe de tent.

13. The combination with animal releasing and leading means, of an upright support, a weighted motor mounted on the sup ort and connected to the releasing and lea ing means, a movable detent mounted on the sup port and engaging the weighted motor to old the same against movement, an electro magnet cooperating with the detent, a source of e ectric energy, and circuit wires connecting the magnet and source of electric energy and including portions separated by heatdestroyed insulation.

14. The combination with a stable havin a door, of a plurality of animal releasing an leading devices movably mounted therein, a motor dis osed exteriorly of the stable and having ca le connections with the releasing and leading means, holding means for the door. connected to said cable, an electrically operated detent cooperating with the motor, and'an electric circuit includin a heat controlled circuit closer arranged 1n the stable and controlling the movement of said detent.

15. The combination with a stable including a door, of animal releasing and leading means movably mounted in the stable, a motor for moving said releasing and leading means, a latch for locking the door in closed position, connections between the motor, the

a door-way, a door, a track located in the stable and extending throughthe door-way, a plurality of holding hooks, a plurality of blocks slidably mounted on the track and connected to the holding hooks, a latch for the door, a motor disposed exteriorly of the stable, a plurality of actuating elements slidably mounted on the track in rear of the blocks, a cable connected to the motor, the latch and the elements, an electrically operted detent for the motor, and means for acmating the detent including conducting wires, and heat-destroyed insulation interposed between them.

l7 The combination with a support, of animal holding means that detachably engages the suplport, and common means -for isenga ing t e holding means from the support and drawing the same from the stable.

18. The combination with a bar, of animal holding means including a hook that detachably engages the bar, and common means for disengaging the hook from the bar and mov ing the same from the stable.

19. The combination with a bar, of a plurality of animal holding hooks that detachably engage the bar, and automatic means for disen aging the hooks from the bar and movi t em from the stable.

20. he combination with a track, of a plurality of animal leading devices slidable on the track, a cable, and devices connected to the cable and slidable on the track, said devices detachabl engaging the leading devices to move t e same upon the track and disengaging therefrom when moved to the outer end ofthe track.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I ARTHUR THEODORE RUTHVEN.

Witnesses:

E, RooF, C. MESPELT. 

